Man Accused of Pretending to Be Marine to Get VA Benefits

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Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Authorities say a man improperly received $130,000 in medical and housing benefits through Veterans Affairs by claiming he had served in the Marine Corps during years when he actually had been imprisoned in Arizona.

Forty-three-year-old Shawn Oliger is charged with theft of government money in federal court in Cincinnati.

Court records indicate he was arrested last month. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for his public defender.

In court documents, investigators say Oliger's purported military service was wrongly logged into a database because of a disability compensation claim he had filed.

They say Oliger later admitted making up his claim about being a veteran. They allege he knew that was wrong but did it because he needed medical care that he received through the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.